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Livestock Tampering laws help
maintain responsible food production at fairs,
By Dr. Tony Forshey, State Veterinarian, Ohio Department of Agriculture
- Summer marks the beginning of fair season – a time when thousands of
4-H youth all across the state showcase the animal projects they have
spent so much time perfecting. As these hard working kids gear up to
show their animals, I want to encourage all exhibitors to be
aware of livestock...
read
more.
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Senate
President Keith Faber… The
Key to Growth: Ohio is Working!
At the height of the Great Recession, Ohio’s economy was in critical
condition, barely clinging to life after the devastating loss of
350,000 private sector jobs. Under the leadership of our previous
governor’s administration, we consistently earned bottom ten national
rankings for our business climate. The tired old tax-and-spend strategy
couldn’t stop the...
read
more.
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State
Representative Jim Buchy… Conformity is not the Answer for
Gay Marriage in Ohio
The United States Supreme Court made a landmark decision this past year
to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide. This ruling has led some
leaders to introduce reactionary legislation that will either open
Ohio’s doors to gay marriage or result in a tangled legal mess for
Ohio’s taxpayers. I plan to maintain my position in opposition to
forcing anyone to...
read
more.
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Memorial Day, Every Day?
By
Bob Robinson
“If you didn’t have to be here, would you still come?” I’ve asked that
question now for the past four years. One young lady – a Wavette, she
was a freshman then – wasn’t sure and I teased her about it. This year,
a graduating senior, she was sure… “Yes!” she said, without hesitation.
This year, in a leadership role, I had her ask her fellow Wavettes...
read
more.
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Broke
Wife, Big City… Read
this. Or not. I don’t really care.
By Aprill Brandon
As I sit here with my laptop, a million years pregnant, looking like
Violet Beauregarde from Willie Wonka (only rounder and more obnoxious),
I can’t help but wonder “what the hell am I doing?” Not meaning the
pregnancy, of course. It’s much too late for that regret. She’s big
enough to qualify for social security at this point. No, I mean this is
likely my last post for awhile. One...
read
more.
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State
Senator Bill Beagle… Scleroderma
Awareness Month
Demeshia Trice is a survivor. Over the course of fifteen years, she's
undergone four partial finger amputations. She has ulcers covering her
whole body. She requires a caretaker to help her eat, bathe and perform
routine daily tasks. Demeshia is living with scleroderma, an autoimmune
disease that devastates the lives of over 300,000 people around the
nation. In...
read
more.
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Brexit,
By Kate Burch
An aspect of Britain's vote to exit the EU that has been little noted
is its affirmation of national identity. For decades, entertainers and
other utopians have been clamoring for a world without
borders.
We are supposed to think that America is only exceptional in the same
way that “the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks
believe in Greek...
read
more.
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An
Edison student Narrative… The Good Old Days,
By Cierra
Kaufhold
Why can’t the world be like it once was? A world without hate, without
“The walk away Joes,“ and ”Run around Sues”… A world where families
meant something, love was forever, opening the front door to a stranger
was okay, prices were low, people could be trusted, everyone was kind
and understanding, people would offer a helping hand, people weren’t
afraid to talk or leave their home...
read
more.
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Ignorance,
By Truman Bashore
According to the website Online Etymology Dictionary (Harper, Douglas,
2001-2016) the origin of the word ignorance is “lacking wisdom or
knowledge; unaware; not known of, pay no attention to, knowing nothing
of good manners”. In today’s political arena ignorance can be
found in the argument for expanding oil drilling, the denial of climate
change, and...
read
more.
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Broke
Wife, Big City… The
narrow view of fatherhood,
By Aprill Brandon
One of the first things you learn as a new mom, besides how to dodge
jets of baby urine like Neo in “The Matrix,” is how much society hates
you. Oof, and man, do they hate you. And me. And anyone whose uterus
used to have an occupant. It doesn’t matter if we work or stay at home,
breast or bottle feed, wear yoga pants or fancy tailored lady trousers
with actual working buttons...
read
more.
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U.S.
Senator Sherrod Brown… Summer
Break Shouldn’t Mean Going Hungry
For children across Ohio, summer break is beginning, and for many
families that means vacations and summer camps and barbeques. But for
too many, it also means stress over how to care for children while
parents work, or how to feed children nutritious meals without the
school lunches they count on throughout the rest of the year. Hundreds
of thousands of Ohio students rely on the school...
read
more.
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Versailles Poultry Days… 2016
Poultry Days Parade a Hoot… As Always,
By Bob Robinson
It’s a weird feeling not being involved in “journalism” any longer…
weird but in a way, comforting. I can do what I enjoy without having to
worry about reporting on it… under deadline, no less. That’s assuming I
have the time. I’ve had to replace a lot of events I really enjoyed
because of my educational pursuits. There simply isn’t enough...
read
more.
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State
Senator Beagle… Celebrating
Father's Day With Compassion
and Connectivity
I recently attended my daughter’s graduation at Miami University, and
while I was filled with pride celebrating her accomplishments, I could
not help but to think about how fast these years have passed. As our
children grow, these important moments seem to fly by one after the
next. On that day I began to reflect on the joyous occasion of my
first-born's...
read
more.
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Not So
Fast, Mr. Ryan, By Kate Burch
House Speaker Paul Ryan has condemned, and even threatened to sue,
Donald Trump over Mr. Trump’s promise to impose a temporary ban on
Muslim immigration. Mr. Ryan, and others on both sides of
politics, have claimed that such a ban would be unconstitutional and in
violation of our values and traditions as Americans. In truth, there...
read
more.
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State
Representative Buchy… HB
301--Health Savings Accounts for State
Employees
Currently, the Ohio House of Representatives is considering House Bill
301. This legislation, sponsored by Representative Michael
Henne
and local Representative Stephen Huffman, would create an option for
state employees to choose a Health Savings Account in lieu of a
standard deductible health care plan. Under this option the individual
chooses a high...
read
more.
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Answering
Life’s Biggest Questions… Potty Training
Purgatory, By Abigail Fischer and Katie DeLand
Dear A+K: I am currently in the thick of potty training my toddler, and
I find myself divided. On one hand, I am SO DONE with diapers
and
the stench that comes with them, but on the other, I am tired of
slipping in pee and running the washer 24/7. Please discuss and help me
rediscover the joys in this milestone! Sincerely, Fecal Fairy. Dear
Fairy: Potty training is no joke, and we are here...
read
more.
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Mr. History and his Hog,
By
Susan Olling
Last year, I wrote about one of the toys on Mr. History’s wish list: a
top-of-line Harley. Mind you, he’s mentioned this particular
item
for twenty years. I had apparently taken leave of my senses
or my
evil twin was in our house last spring when I told him if he wanted a
Harley to get one. He bought a helmet and gloves and took the riding
class last fall...
read
more.
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U.S.
Senator Sherrod Brown… We
Must All Stand Together After Orlando
Yesterday, Ohioans woke up to tragic news about the shooting at an
Orlando, Florida, nightclub. Connie and I send our deepest sympathies
to the families, friends, and communities of all those lost. We are
grateful to the first responders whose bravery saved lives, and we
continue to keep the law enforcement who are investigating and the
medical personnel...
read
more.
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Broke
Wife, Big City… 35
things I’ve learned in 35 years,
By Aprill Brandon
When you’re nine months pregnant and busy chasing a sugar-addicted
toddler around, certain things are bound to fall through the cracks.
The family’s collective hygiene, for one (she types as she tries to
remember how many days in a row her son has worn those Spiderman
pajamas). Basic human decency, for another (she types while cringing as
she remembers yelling “stop playing...
read
more.
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Answering
Life’s Biggest Questions… It’s a
trainwreck but do it anyway… and have fun!
By Abigail Fischer and Katie DeLand -- Dear A+K: My daughter always
wants to help out in the kitchen, but I find it so
exhausting.
The mess just isn't worth it to me, which I know is missing the
point. Are there tips for a better cooking experience?
Thanks-Burned Out in the Kitchen. Dear Burned Out: "Cooking with Kids"
should actually be the title for a therapy group in community centers
across the globe...
read
more.
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Buchy… Senate Bill 3—Avoiding the Crux
of New
Unfunded Mandates
Currently, the Ohio House of Representatives is considering Senate Bill
3. This was introduced by Senators Faber and Hite to reduce
bureaucracy, focus on locally driven teacher improvements, and reduce
state testing. The purpose of this bill is to reduce state mandates on
high performing schools. Western Ohio is home to many high performing
schools that...
read
more.
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Commissioner’s
Corner… Preliminary
Budgets for 2017… hold the line
May has been a very busy month in the Commissioner’s office, as it has
been around the County. Farmers have worked feverishly to get their
plowing and planting done. It hasn’t been easy with the rain earlier in
the month, but now as this is written, we could use a good shower to
help those crops grow. May is always a time of renewal, and this...
read
more.
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State
Representative Jim Buchy… Say No to HSUS, Defend
Agriculture—Eat
Traditional
In western Ohio, agriculture and the products we produce provide for
the fine families we rear and the lives we live. The Humane
Society of the United States (HSUS) is trying to take our farming
practices back decades and the eventual impact their efforts have on
our bottom line could negatively impact our way of life. I
will
continue to stand up against HSUS’ attempts to destroy our livelihoods...
read
more.
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Anomie v.2,
By Kate Burch
Pioneering French sociologist Emile Durkheim used the word, “anomie” in
his 1897 book, “Suicide” to describe a situation in which the society’s
standards and values are rapidly changing, causing people to feel
confused, alienated, and purposeless. He further wrote that
significant changes in the economic fortunes of a society and
especially a situation in which people are unable...
read
more.
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